Full-time Carers (Hansard, 18 November 2003)

§ Maria Eagle

"Caring about Carers—A National Strategy for Carers" published in 1999 underlined the Government's commitment to support carers. Carers are entitled to an assessment by their local council to determine their needs as carers and their eligibility for support. Depending on their individual circumstances, carers have access to the full range of social security benefits including Carer's Allowance (CA) (previously Invalid Care Allowance), the Carer Premium in income-related benefits and additional amounts in Pension Credit.

The improvements we have made to the support and benefits for carers on top of the annual upratings of benefits include:

the introduction of the Carers' Grant in 1999 to support local councils in providing short breaks for carers to enable them to continue to care while maintaining their own health and wellbeing. In response to requests from carers and others, the 2003–04 Carers Grant includes new flexibilities. Local councils can now use as much of the money as they wish in pooled budgets and they can fund more services directly for carers. This offers them the opportunity to support carers in more responsive and innovative ways, and not only through breaks;

strengthening, in 2000, of the right of carers to an assessment of their own needs. Local councils were given a mandatory duty to support carers by providing them with services directly and with breaks from caring. In addition, Direct Payments from local councils were made available to carers to enable them to purchase carers services themselves. Resources for personal social services increased by 20 per cent. in real terms between 1996–97 and 2002–03, an average real terms increase of 3 per cent. a year, and will be increased by an annual average of 6 per cent. in real terms from 2003–04 to 2005–06. In 2001–02, local councils provided help to over 140,000 carers through the adults service and to some 52,000 people (including young carers) through the children's service;

increasing the carer premium by £1O a week above normal uprating;

increasing the CA earnings limit from £50 to £72 a week in 2001. Since then, the earnings limit has been increased each year in line with the rise in the national insurance lower earnings limit and is currently £77 after allowable expenses;

abolishing the upper age limit on claims to CA in 2002, so that carers aged 65 and over can claim the allowance. People in receipt of basic state pension who are entitled to, but do not 790W receive CA because of the overlapping benefit rules may be entitled to extra money with their income-related benefits or Pension Credit;

extending entitlement to CA by up to eight weeks after death of disabled person being cared for; and

from April 2003, requiring local councils to make direct payments to carers who have an assessed need and are able to manage the payments (alone or with assistance), and giving local councils discretionary powers to support flexibility in provision of short breaks for carers through the short term breaks voucher scheme.

Carers can find out about the support and benefits available to them through various routes: on-line services such as UK Online, or the Government DWP and carers websites; by telephone via benefits helplines, NHS Direct, carers centres, Carers UK helpline; and booklets/leaflets published by the Government or voluntary sector.